NYTimes Lens

A Picture Says One Thousand Words

The New York Times is one of the world's most important print publications. But it's often the paper's photographs that grab the reader's attention. This series of short documentaries, commission by the paper, goes behind the scenes to explore how their staff photographs make pictures.

Photographing the Photographer

“Most of us are much more comfortable behind the lens,” said Fred R. Conrad, a New York Times staff photographer. “And to just sort of barge in on another photographer and tell him to pose … you feel kind of funny.” Mr. Conrad was on assignment to do a portrait of Joel Meyerowitz, the influential color photographer whose half-century career takes up a massive two-volume book, and an exhibition. Elaisha Stokes, a freelance videographer for The New York Times, shadowed Mr. Conrad taking Mr. Meyerowitz’s portrait in his studio on the Upper West Side to accompany an article by Randy Kennedy. Lens also recently published a post by Mr. Meyerowitz on his approach to color and black-and-white photography.

The Joy of Dance

Some photographers live for the the thrill of the unexpected happening right in front of them. Others prefer a more ordered world, where each occurrence is telegraphed far in advance.

Andrea Mohin, a New York Times staff photographer who specializes in dance, says she is trying to capture moves that can be difficult to anticipate.

Read the full story and watch the video here.

Parading on the Edges, Finding the Story

“I love surreal-ness,” said Nicole Bengiveno, staff photographer of The New York Times, who photographed the St. Patrick's Day Parade in New York on Saturday. “You have men in skirts, you have people with shamrocks on their faces — I kept snapping pictures of people with these funny hats and green hair. Because they’re just really in the spirit.” Followed by the freelance videographer Elaisha Stokes, Ms. Bengiveno demonstrates how, for the parade-going photographer, it is helpful to be drawn to strangeness. After all, if you have photographed as many parades as she has, an eye for the uncommon can be a gift. Likewise, a knack for sticking to the sidelines. “I like to stay around the edges,” Ms. Bengiveno said. “I like the idea of being invisible.”